Chris Harris becomes a modern-day Salman Rushdie
Discussion
otolith said:
I thought our car, with 195/50/15 tyres, standard suspension and an LSD, was preferable to the Sport we test drove which had the same diff but 205/45/16 tyres and what felt like a firmer suspension setup. The sport was sharper and had more grip, but the car we bought was more progressive at and beyond the limit of grip - you could take immense liberties round damp roundabouts with no risk of loss of control. I have no confidence that I could drive the Elise like that without stacking it.
Someone else who has gone from LSD-equipped MX-5 to an Elise?I'm still bricking it every time I drive the Elise. It's almost *too* precise, and won't let me get away with anything sloppy.
otolith said:
Paul Dishman said:
I can see where Chris Harris is coming from with this. My wife has bought herself a Mark 2 MX5 (10th anniversary) which she loves and has described as a "go-kart".
It isn't anywhere near a go kart, we've had FWD hot hatches that corner better. The MX5 has a classic feel to it more like a MGB rather than a true sports car like a 911.
Its still a nice little car and lovely when the suns out, but I fear anybody buying one after reading the hype they receive on PH will be disappointed. Especially if they are expecting razor sharp handling.
We had a front wheel drive hatchback with sharper handling and faster cornering at the same time - as well as a much better engine and gearbox. I still found that I enjoyed driving the MX-5 more. I think to look for sharpness in the handling and lots of grip is to approach the car from the wrong angle. I thought our car, with 195/50/15 tyres, standard suspension and an LSD, was preferable to the Sport we test drove which had the same diff but 205/45/16 tyres and what felt like a firmer suspension setup. The sport was sharper and had more grip, but the car we bought was more progressive at and beyond the limit of grip - you could take immense liberties round damp roundabouts with no risk of loss of control. I have no confidence that I could drive the Elise like that without stacking it.It isn't anywhere near a go kart, we've had FWD hot hatches that corner better. The MX5 has a classic feel to it more like a MGB rather than a true sports car like a 911.
Its still a nice little car and lovely when the suns out, but I fear anybody buying one after reading the hype they receive on PH will be disappointed. Especially if they are expecting razor sharp handling.
NiceCupOfTea said:
What I can't understand is anybody saying it's not a fun car or a sports car. If you can blat down a B-road in one without breaking into a grin, you're doing it wrong!
^^^^^^ This.To my mind one of the big differences is that every single MX-5 owner gets the "sportscar experience". You never see someone else in a broadly similar car who bought the mundane version. In contrast, although they're hugely competent cars,
A Focus RS500 is a shopping car with a big engine.
A Clio 172 is a shopping car with a big engine.
An M3 is a mainstream small saloon with a big engine.
An RS4 is a mainstream saloon with a big engine.
An E63 AMG Merc is a taxi with a big engine.
g3org3y said:
Didn't that supercharged version get a very favourable review in the latest EVO issue?
Man in different opinion shocker.
MX-5s have, as far as I can remember, never been spoken ill of in EVO, they even included a "then and now" piece from an older issue in their "Performance bargains" mag-book they brought out a little while ago. They pointed out flaws in both cars, but were still appreciative of them.Man in different opinion shocker.
The MX family may not have power outputs to wrinkle tarmac and make the world spin in reverse, but they are damn sight more "drivers cars" than most other things on sale today.
PGN911 said:
Fully agree with Chris Harris.
Men look like berks driving one and they can only be loosely described as sports cars.
IMHO of course.
id second that, it is a very cheap way to get into sports cars but imho not a very good way for mx5 money I would just stay in a hot hatch, 20k buys some good stuff (new) which I think looks better and probably faster, ibiza bocenegra etc (spelling????) comes to mind!Men look like berks driving one and they can only be loosely described as sports cars.
IMHO of course.
HereBeMonsters said:
Someone else who has gone from LSD-equipped MX-5 to an Elise?
I'm still bricking it every time I drive the Elise. It's almost *too* precise, and won't let me get away with anything sloppy.
I went Torsen equipt mk1 MX5 turbo to VX220. I prefer the VX220, its a ncer car to drive, it is more precise and I like that. If your bricking it in an Elise I'd take the Elise for a Geo, they should inspire confidence not be scary.I'm still bricking it every time I drive the Elise. It's almost *too* precise, and won't let me get away with anything sloppy.
MX5, I did find it too slow as standard and quickly turbo charged it (3 months into ownership), turbo charged it was great fun on track and was way quicker than my VX220, but then you'd expect it to be with 100bhp advantage and only a 80kg deficit
Something that people have not mentioned that suprises me as anyone who's owned a proper sports car (I do could the MX5 as one) should know is that the geometry is massively adjustable and the car can be setup to handle however you want.
For someone to get in a random MX5 and declare it crap is idiotic as it may well have all its wheels pointing in different directions. Take it to someone who knows what they are doing - or research track or fast road geometry setting and hand them to any well kitted out tyre place and ask them to replicate and the car will feel totally different.
hornetrider said:
zippyprorider said:
ibiza bocenegra
PhillT said:
I expect PH to declare a fatwa on him very shortly.
http://community.evo.co.uk/users/Monkey-Harris/blo...
I drove a Mk.3 and it didn't feel sporty at all. It was quite unimpressive and a disappointment after reading all the hype.http://community.evo.co.uk/users/Monkey-Harris/blo...
I have been fan of Chris Harris' written and video articles for a while now, he always seems enthusiastic in the reviews and quite thoughtful in his verdict, which is more than can be said for some modern car journo's IMO. As of late he seems to favour a lot of more expensive machinery, which is great, but as an Evo writer I would hope he can still appreciate any car that can bring the 'joy of driving'.
He obviously has a lot more experience of various cars then me so his view beats mine, and I am a biased MX5 owner anyway
It just seems this blog pointing out a few weaknesses to a vehicle, (yeah it's slow, yes it's maybe a bit unprecise when compared to an Elise) lacks any views of the positives, (cheap and relatively tough fun) but then I guess that's his opinion, just a shame it can't be backed by his usual standard of analysis.
He obviously has a lot more experience of various cars then me so his view beats mine, and I am a biased MX5 owner anyway
It just seems this blog pointing out a few weaknesses to a vehicle, (yeah it's slow, yes it's maybe a bit unprecise when compared to an Elise) lacks any views of the positives, (cheap and relatively tough fun) but then I guess that's his opinion, just a shame it can't be backed by his usual standard of analysis. Debaser said:
I drove a Mk.3 and it didn't feel sporty at all. It was quite unimpressive and a disappointment after reading all the hype.
Did it have the cheap suspension upgrade and a decent Geo set up? The ones that run around looking as if they are on stilts are not how Mazda originally designed them.
t boxesTo suspect yourself of being the only person in the known universe to hold a particular belief can be both frustrating and, in a strange way, enormously liberating.
It seems I am alone in being completely ambivalent as to the existence of Evo magazine. Apparently it's one of the most respected car magazines around, which means there will be yet more public outpourings of emotion for a magazine which is so far up it's own arse it hasn't seen daylight in years.
Truth be told, I think Evo magazine and its writers are, well, sh*t.
This will not endear me to anyone who has ever had a subscrition, and it isn’t intended as some dramatic broadside to wind-them-up. I just always judge car magazines on their breadth of their coverage, and I’ve always found Evo magazine transparently biased, snooty and unsatisfying. Of course the principle behind Evo magazine is fantastic: the joy of driving captured in well written text, and presented in an arty well produced manner, but the reality when considering the real world of petrolheads has never even approached delivering on that promise. And the amount of adverts is terrible.
In fact, beyond the magazine’s outward specification, I don’t really see it as a car magazine at all - it's just wonderful ego boosting exercise for its writers to demonstrate just how much better and richer than you they are. And Chris Harris just isn’t exciting. Tiff Needell is exciting because he’s a proper bundle of joy in any car, whereas Chris Harris is just a monotone voiced dullard with a superiority complex.
So, gather round and have a good pop at me for being rude about a national treasure. Or, use this opportunity to finally admit in public that you too think the Evo magazine is pants.
Opinions eh?
It seems I am alone in being completely ambivalent as to the existence of Evo magazine. Apparently it's one of the most respected car magazines around, which means there will be yet more public outpourings of emotion for a magazine which is so far up it's own arse it hasn't seen daylight in years.
Truth be told, I think Evo magazine and its writers are, well, sh*t.
This will not endear me to anyone who has ever had a subscrition, and it isn’t intended as some dramatic broadside to wind-them-up. I just always judge car magazines on their breadth of their coverage, and I’ve always found Evo magazine transparently biased, snooty and unsatisfying. Of course the principle behind Evo magazine is fantastic: the joy of driving captured in well written text, and presented in an arty well produced manner, but the reality when considering the real world of petrolheads has never even approached delivering on that promise. And the amount of adverts is terrible.
In fact, beyond the magazine’s outward specification, I don’t really see it as a car magazine at all - it's just wonderful ego boosting exercise for its writers to demonstrate just how much better and richer than you they are. And Chris Harris just isn’t exciting. Tiff Needell is exciting because he’s a proper bundle of joy in any car, whereas Chris Harris is just a monotone voiced dullard with a superiority complex.
So, gather round and have a good pop at me for being rude about a national treasure. Or, use this opportunity to finally admit in public that you too think the Evo magazine is pants.
Opinions eh?
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